Enough Of The Pink Crap, They Say. Quit Being A Girl.

Never mind that business people—men included—become billionaires from this “pink” crap. Or that entrepreneurs like, Adam Bernhard, create billion-dollar businesses that started with “pink” sales to sororities at UCLA and USC.

Just stop it already, they say. Women don’t like that kind of stuff. And if they do, they should be ashamed of themselves.

“How are people supposed to take women seriously when we teach women to approach the world like frivolous children?” Lindy West asked about pink self-defense products.

You don’t get taken seriously if you continue to endorse “pink” products, is the argument you hear from the ones against women liking “girly” stuff.

We complain about not being acknowledged, and then when we are acknowledged, we complain still.

Let’s look at the facts:

“Divas drive the dollars,” digital research firm comScore, Inc., reports. They found that women drive a disproportionate amount of online spending—58% of ecommerce dollars in the U.S. market, that community and lifestyle sites traditionally aimed at women, will attract more women.

Translation: Women have power, the kind of power that makes companies design what women like. Companies that once made a big deal about designing products for women, now run out to design them. Companies that once scoffed at marketing to women, now build teams around that central idea, hire women marketers to help direct those teams.

Still, there’s still something about this that is just not right about this, they say. They scratch their heads, crinkle their noses, and—wait for it—Oh yes, that’s it! Stop wanting these things, these girly products, you…you childish acting women!

Translation: Tell yourself you’re a woman who wants to be taken seriously. So in order to have your male colleagues take you seriously, tell them that you’re just like them, that you don’t have a mind of your own, that you enjoy the things they enjoy, behave the way they behave, buy the things they buy. Stop liking anything that could be construed as feminine.

Be a dude already, eh?

More facts:

Women account for 85% of all consumer purchases, Fox News Joanna Krotz reports from Business on Main. They also account for nearly half of all purchases in traditionally male-dominated categories.

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I thought you made many excellent points. Unlike many articles I’ve seen on gender issues, you actually include some facts as opposed to purely opinion.

As a father of two boys and two girls, I quickly found that there are some general differences between boys and girls. However, it would be a big mistake to stereotype any of them. Our daughters are very different, and are more like one of the boys in some aspects than they are like each other.

As an engineer, I don’t work with many women, but the few women engineers I do work with are well regarded. Although none of them are princesses, I appreciate their feminine differences in our very male dominated work environment. I think it makes them stand out in a small, positive way.

I think there are too many women in corporate American being told that they are a victim. Liking “pink” is yet one more reason. I’m grateful that my wife focuses on being a success instead of a victim, works well with men, and likes pink.

Seriously, don’t we have larger issues to address than whether you like pink pliers or pink steering wheel covers? How about the wage gap, the glass ceiling and single mothers living in poverty? How about the reproductive rights? Discussing THIS is what makes us look ridiculous. Buy pink. Don’t buy pink. Who cares? Do something to better society and the lives of young girls and women so that they are prepared for a better future. The end.

“The end?” The end to what? The pink discussion? To writing? To your point?

Your comment helps stress the point of the post. Thanks for that. Some women happen to write about pink, others about economic and social issues. I happen to write about both. And I make no apologies for it.

Now am I supposed to say “the end” too to this telegraphic style of commenting to opinions that don’t conform to our liking (still pondering that one)?